Five months after middleweight champion Anderson Silva sent the HSBC Arena into a frenzy at UFC 134, Aldo knocked out Chad Mendes in the first round to defend his featherweight title for a third time.

The title fight headlined UFC 142 and aired on pay-per-view following prelims on Facebook and FX. It took place at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

No sooner did Aldo finish Mendes than he bounced out of the cage and hurled himself into the audience, which threatened to swallow him whole as it erupted in cheers.

After an extended celebration, Aldo returned to thank his teammates.

“Tonight’s my mother’s birthday,” he said through a translator. “I have to dedicate this fight to her.”

The end came after Aldo escaped a takedown and fired off a knee that caught Mendes on the chin and sent him to the canvas. Mendes was already unconscious when a follow-up punch landed. Referee Mario Yamasaki waved off the bout at the 4:59 mark of the first round.

Twice before, Aldo had managed to escape the takedowns of Mendes, who brought to the title fight impressive wrestling credentials that were thought to be his advantage leading into the fight. Mendes attacked Aldo’s legs early on with kicks, but it was clear that Aldo’s strikes were superior when he returned fire.

Afterward, he paid tribute to the champion’s skill.

“He’s a great champion,” Mendes said. “I felt the best I’ve ever felt for any fight. I was very prepared, and he got me.”

Aldo (21-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has not tasted defeat in six years of professional competition and is now 3-0 in the UFC following an eight-fight streak in the now-defunct WEC, where he also held the featherweight belt.

Mendes (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) suffers the first defeat of his professional career after going 4-0 in the WEC and 2-0 in the UFC.

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